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MARSHALL, MI –​ Michigan ranks fourth in the United States in terms of total acreage
dedicated to hops, one of four main ingredients in craft beer.

Many of those acres will be in full harvest mode at the end of August and early
September. In collaboration the Moga family, owners of High Five Hop Farm in Marshall,
along with Dark Horse Brewing Co. and Territorial Brewing Co., West Michigan Beer Tours will
hold the Hop Harvest Beer Tour on Saturday, Aug. 26.

The highlight of the afternoon will be a visit to the small family farm where Marty Moga
and his family grow a variety of hops for a few Michigan breweries. Participants will tour
the fields and learn more about the growing and harvesting process, while also samples
Michigan beer using High Five Hop Farm hops.

The tour will begin with registration from noon to 1 p.m. at Old Burdick’s Bar & Grill
inside the Radisson Plaza Hotel in downtown Kalamazoo. The bus will depart for Dark
Horse Brewing Co. for a pint and to hear how the brewery works with High Five Hops
Farm on some of its beer.

Following the stint at High Five Hop, the event will stop by Territorial Brewing Co. for a
series of samples and learn how hops are utilized in the brewery’s German-inspired
beers, before returning to downtown Kalamazoo.

The event, dubbed Dark Saturday, broke a record set at HopCat Detroit’s grand opening on Dec. 13, 2014, which featured 120 Short’s Brewing Company beers.

By 11 a.m., a line wrapped around the front of the building as fans waited to try the huge variety of Dark Horse brews.

For HopCat and Dark Horse staff, the day began much earlier.

“It was all hands on deck to get this event together,” Trevor Mapes, captain of beer research at Hopcat, said. “A lot of the logistical elements were planned early on, and barbacks and food runners provided muscle late into the night and early in the morning before opening.”.

“It’s great to see Dark Horse and HopCat tackling this event in Detroit,” said Damon Ward, Detroit resident and craft beer enthusiast. “It signifies how supportive they are of the local beer community.” Of the 130 beers on tap, Ward was most excited to try the 2014 and 2015 Bourbon Barrel Plead the 5th stout.

The all-day event included a special one-day renaming of HopCat Detroit’s Huma Room into the Crooked Tree Room. TV screens showed college football throughout the afternoon, and live music began at 7 p.m. to close out the evening.

“We love Detroit and want to be part of its ongoing renaissance,” said Bryan Wiggs, head of brewery operations and token hippie at Dark Horse. Yes, his business card really says that.

“It is a privilege and it is exciting to be breaking the world record here in Detroit,” Wiggs added.

“We came up with the idea for the tap takeover with HopCat at the Winter Beer Fest in February of 2014, and have been brewing beers specifically for this event since them,” said Aaron Morse, founder and owner of Dark Horse.

On the 12-acre Dark Horse compound in Marshall, Morse makes honey and maple syrup, he grows hops and fruit, and he uses all these elements in his beer.

“We have fun pushing the envelope and doing things people say you can’t,” Morse added.

For a must-try beer, Morse suggested the Rubescent Zhaftig Ghastly, which has all the roasty, creamy characteristics one would expect in a stout, but pours a vibrant red color.